A proper continuation of the Spice Road brings readers to the Serpent Sea. This sequel picks up just where its predecessor left off, but in this book, we get a second perspective. Joining Imani in telling the story is Taha, though not necessarily taking turns as the majority is still told thru Imani's view. Again we find that there is a quest, this time for the jewels of Qayn’s lost crown to restore his magic. We also get to learn a little more about Qayn along the way. There are sea voyages, a contest of survival that briefly had a low-tech Hunger Games feel, family drama, and the continuation of the warm-cold romance that was started in the first book. Some history is shared that helps explain the nature of their world and magic throughout the book but definitely left with the feeling of an all will be explained in the last book of the trilogy. One nice thing about this series has been that there is a definite quest contained within each book rather than sow some YA duologies trilogies break up a single plot and end each book as soon as they get to a cliffhanger. But then, there is also an overarching plot that ties the series together and each quest (or book) has revealed breadcrumbs that direct the characters to the next quest, the next story. Readers who enjoyed Spice Road will be eager to see how Imani and Taha's story continues and those that haven't read the first book of the trilogy, but enjoy adventures in exotic locations with a bit of magic and a slow-burn love-hate romance should give it a try.
I received advanced access to this ARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.